The title business, to most folks, might not sound like the most exciting line of work on the planet. After all, the first encounter many have with the industry is that line item on the closing statement for their home purchase, involving a little-understood but required insurance policy. “Title work” might conjure up long hours poring over dusty courthouse ledgers or, these days, squinting into computer screens.
To Brady Watson, a longtime petroleum landman with experience throughout the Southwest and multigenerational ties to the business throughout this area, it’s anything but tedious or boring.
When you consider the historic ranches and communities in the rural counties east of Lubbock, he said, running land titles back to sovereignty of soil can turn up some fascinating stories.
It’s that deep appreciation for the land that led Watson and his sister, Libby Cruse of Flomot, to incorporate as Rolling Plains Title of Texas LLC and acquire Warren Title Company of Dickens from David Warren and Janet Martin, who had been looking to retire. They also purchased the Motley County abstract plant, which their grandmother Katherine Russell owned for over 30 years but sold to Jones and Renfow in the late 1990s, from the Warrens.
The new firm, which will serve Dickens and Motley Counties from the former Warren office on the courthouse square in the city of Dickens, took over early in 2022 and has been busy with updates and training since then. Watson expects to schedule a public open house and a thank-you to the Warrens, in the near future.
Already a new, bright-red sign grabs attention on US 62/82, and the building—which has served as grocery store and other uses in the past—has been freshened up inside.
What hasn’t changed are the carefully curated land transaction records kept by hand back in the 1940s when David and Janet’s grandfather handled the title work, and the friendly, personal service the firm has long been known for.
An abstract of title, according to online sources, is a summary of all conveyances and encumbrances affecting the property. Certification by the abstractor states the information is complete and accurate. This information is needed for the preparation of a policy of title insurance for the parcel of land.
“The title company does the courthouse research to run the title to 1978 (as required by TDI) for land sales,” Watson explained. Their firm runs title searches back to Sovereignty even though the State only requires to 1978. The title examiner notes any exceptions to a clear title, which must be addressed before a title insurance policy is issued to the buyer.
In Motley and Dickens Counties the oldest records go back to 1870—and Rolling Plains Title has copies of all of them, possibly a couple of even older ones from Dickens.
Watson had the benefit of working Dickens County for 17 years, he said, six of those inhouse with Gunn Oil Company also covering Cottle and King Counties. He also considers it a great privilege to have worked with the Warren firm when John and Joan Warren were still alive.
Libby Cruse, whose husband, Matthew, is a state game warden for the region, had worked for the Randall County clerk’s office for several years before working as a landman and title examiner herself for the past decade.
The new owners have introduced some changes and efficiencies to the Dickens office, consolidating records in a remodeled space and continuing to upgrade computer access even while maintaining easy access to years of card catalog indexes and notes on paper.
“The title industry has been extremely paper-heavy for a hundred years, but the technology is starting to catch up,” Watson explained.
For policy underwriting, they have contracted with First American Title Guarnatee Company, the largest wholly owned title underwriter in U.S. “We can close transactions in DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso,” Watson said. “Escrow software is online and we can access records remotely from anywhere.”
The nature of land transactions in this part of rural Texas continues to evolve, too, Watson said. Both Motley and Dickens traditionally have many absentee landowners, for investments or hunting land. But he has seen tracts sell and some come back on the market. Work in energy rights, with solar and bitcoin coming, is also changing the game, as well as a number of for-sale-by-owner properties in Spur.
Still, the new team are keeping regular office hours on the courthouse square and welcome customers. They are appreciative of the continuity from a decades-old family business.
“The transition has gone extremely smoothly,” said Watson. Rolling Plains Title of Texas, at 519 Montgomery St., Dickens, Texas, 79229, can be reached at (806) 623-5252 or visited on the web at rpttx.com.
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